Nature play is a great way to support the wellbeing of children, particularly in the first five years. This is a critical stage of development, and connection with the natural world provides a rich environment for skill mastery. Nature play can support a child’s cognitive development, as well as their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. It can also improve a child’s mental health, sleep, resilience, and learning. Engaging in music, whether creating or listening, can also support all these aspects of a child’s development. In this article, we will explore how music and nature can be combined to support children’s wellbeing and development.

Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children

When in nature, children often engage in games, such as fantasy and pretend play, or hide and seek. Through these playful interactions, children learn and practice both individual and group play behaviours. These can help to develop their social and communication skills. Additionally, engaging in this play can build a child’s decision-making, co-operation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills. This can build social intelligence, empathy, and resilience. Independent or group play in nature can also help children overcome minor challenges and risks, which can promote a deeper understanding of their bodies, giving them a sense of control and agency. This can help to improve confidence and self-esteem. Nature play can also give children a deeper understanding of the world around them, as well as the important historical and cultural roots of their surroundings.

Nature and Music

If you step outside, close your eyes and listen, you’ll notice music all around you – from the rustling of leaves to the chirping of birds or the hum of the wind as it surrounds you. There is an intrinsic connection between music and nature, and when we tune in, we can find rhythms, melodies and inspiration all around us.

Nature has inspired cultures and musicians for centuries, shaping everything from traditional folk songs to modern compositions. For First Nations People, music and nature are inseparable. Music and the Dreamtime are inextricably linked, with songs and stories together providing a blueprint for Aboriginal lore and explaining the relationship between Aboriginal people and the natural world. In addition to the Dreamtime, Songlines (or dreaming track) were used to navigate across the land through melody, rhythm and storytelling. These ancient songs, passed down through generations, not only guide physical journeys but also preserve deep spiritual and ecological knowledge, showing how music can be a living connection to the environment around us.

Just as Songlines map the land through melody and rhythm, many classical composers have also turned to nature for inspiration. Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ draws from fundamental parts of the seasonal cycle, capturing the changing landscapes of the year through music, while Debussy’s ‘La mer’ immerses the listener in his memories of the sea, transitioning from its serene tranquillity to terrifying, awe-inspiring power.

Integrating Nature Play and Music

Nature invites us to play, explore, and listen in new ways, transforming simple sounds into rhythms and melodies. Award-winning musician and children’s performer, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, recalled how when first learning to drum, her teacher didn’t start with technique but instead told her to “sit quietly at sunset with [her] drum and drum beater and just listen”. When she heard a sound in nature, she was encouraged to play it back on her drum, to which she beat the pattern of bird calls, the chorus of frogs, the galloping rhythm of deer running through a field. Even the beater rubbing against the drumhead could mimic the rush of the wind or flowing water. This experience didn’t just teach her how to drum, it taught her how to listen, how to engage with music in a way that was playful, immersive, and deeply connected to the natural world. By embracing this approach, we open new ways to experience and create music, making it an extension of the environment around us.

Beyond using nature as inspiration, we can also make music with nature itself. Many cultures around the world have used natural materials, such as stone, wood, or shells, to create instruments that reflect the sounds of the environment. But music and nature don’t just connect through instruments, there are endless ways to explore rhythm, melody, and movement outdoors. Whether it’s listening to the patterns in nature, using found objects to create sound, or singing in response to what we see and hear, engaging with music outside can be a playful and immersive experience. Here are a few simple ways to combine music and the natural world:

• Make your own instruments – Go on a nature hunt and find similar-sized sticks to use as claves (or rhythm sticks). Tap them together and see if different sizes create different sounds. You can also find small rocks, seed pods, cup them in your hands, and shake them like a maraca!
  
  
• Singing with nature – Listen to birds chirping and try to mimic their calls with your voice. You can also turn your observations into song! For example: watch a line of ants marching by and sing “The Ants Go Marching”, changing the words to match what the ants are doing or where they are going.
  
  
• Listen to water – Head to your nearest body of water, whether it's the ocean with waves crashing or a creek with water streaming over rocks. Close your eyes and listen to the rhythm of the water. Try singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and change the lyrics based on what you see. For example: "Row, row, row your boat, past the swimming fish!"
  
  
• Mimic nature sounds in music play – Use a big drum to mimic the crashes of thunder with your palms, and the pitter-patter of rain with your fingertips. Brush your hands over the surface as a windy day, and sing “I Hear Thunder”. Play bells while pretending to be birds, or shakers while pretending to be caught in the rain.
  
  
• Explore your local park while singing “We’re Going On A Bearhunt”. Take a teddy bear for an extra level of pretend play. Add the different elements of nature that you see to your lyrics, such as “Oh look! It’s a Grass Tree”

Music and nature have always been deeply connected, and by embracing this relationship, we can open new ways to experience sound, creativity, and play. The outdoors is the perfect setting for musical exploration as there are no rules, no right or wrong notes and just the joy of experimenting with sound. Whether it’s listening to the rhythms of water, mimicking bird songs, or making music with natural materials, nature invites us to play freely, using curiosity and imagination to turn everyday moments into musical adventures! Engaging with music in this way isn’t just fun, it can also enhance mindfulness, strengthen creativity, and encourage a deeper appreciation for the world around us. Next time you step outside, take a moment to listen. What sounds do you hear? How might you turn them into music? Whether you’re tapping out rhythms with sticks, singing along with the wind, or simply pausing to appreciate the symphony of the natural world, there’s music everywhere. For more ideas on creating instruments from nature, check out this video and start making music with the world around you!

Resources

Alla, K., & Truong, M. (2024). Nature play and child wellbeing. Retrieved from https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/2024-08/2408%20Nature%20play%20and%20child%20wellbeing.pdf

Clarke, N. (2024). Eight pieces of classical music inspired by the natural world. Retrieved from https://earth.fm/earth-stories/classical-music-inspired-by-the-natural-world/#:~:text=Sound%20and%20rhythm%2C%20two%20of,soundscapes%20have%20influenced%20musical%20composition

Huang, D. (2012). Connecting with Nature Through Music: Make & Play a Pow-Wow Drum. Retrieved from https://goexplorenature.com/2012/11/connecting-with-nature-through-music.html

MacDonald, J. B., Butler, K., & Alla, K. (2023). Engaging young children (0-5 years) in nature play. Retrieved from https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/2310_CFCA_PG_Engaging-young-children-in-nature-play.pdf

Nature Play QLD (n.d.). 10 Things To Do to Discover Nature’s Music. Retrieved from https://natureplayqld.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/10_Things_to_do_to_Discover_natures_music-1.pdf

Watarrka Foundation (n.d.). The Tradition of Aboriginal Music. Retrieved from https://www.watarrkafoundation.org.au/blog/the-tradition-of-aboriginal-music